This year’s Pick n Pay Knysna Oyster Festival is well and truly underway, with sport, food and wine events and loads of family activities...

This year’s Pick n Pay Knysna Oyster Festival is well and truly underway, with sport, food and wine events and loads of family activities keeping holiday makers busy in the much-loved Garden Route town and surrounding areas.

The first major sporting event, the Momentum Knysna Cycle Tour, kicked off with four MTB events on Saturday, followed on Sunday by road races and family events.

Warm temperatures, plenty of sunshine and absolutely no wind on Sunday meant that both the elite riders and families out to have fun, had the perfect day.

Inflatable fun and many other children’s activities created a brilliant setting for parents to enjoy real Knysna hospitality while children were kept entertained.

Two local entrepreneurs supported by the Knysna Municipality held their Festival events over the weekend. Bulelani Memane was over the moon at the 900 people who attended his iSkeem sePotsoyi Colour Splash Party at the Nitelife Tavern at Dam se Bos on Saturday night.

Joburg DJ Oskido helped to draw the crowds who partied till the early hours of Sunday morning.

80 runners lined up for the inaugural iKasi Colour Fun Run that saw them wind their way through 4,7km of Knysna’s township streets.

Oliver said it went very well and he learnt a lot, and he looks forward to growing it into one of the big events at the Festival each year.

The 13th Knysna Wine Festival presented by Pick n Pay began on Monday evening at its stunning new location on Thesen Island.

Organiser Belinda Hobson said: “It’s been a wonderful start to the event. Despite the turn in the weather today, people have come out in numbers to experience the 200 wines from 50 different suppliers, and local craft beers and craft gin are also represented this year.

Our beneficiary is Little Angels Day Care Centre for challenged and otherwise-abled children in the Knysna District, so we are thrilled with the turnout this evening, and look forward to another busy night tomorrow.”

Also turning out despite the weather on Monday, were families of hikers, young and old, for the first of three FNB Forest Family Hikes taking place in the Harkerville Forest.

The Momentum Knysna Lagoon Mile Swim took place in tough swimming conditions, while many festival goers chose to explore the restaurants of Knysna in search of Heinz Hot Sauce Oyster Hotspots.

20 participating restaurants have included a special Hotspot dish on their menu, accompanied by Heinz “shucking good” hot sauces.

Heinz can also be found at the Pick n Pay Fish Braai on Thursday and the Oyster Shucking on Friday where they will be handing out fresh oysters perfectly paired with Heinz Shuckin’ good hot sauces.

Local Knysna Green Chef Melvin Mene’s restaurant, Usatsho Tsisha-Ngawla, is included as one of the Heinz Hot Sauce Oyster Hotspots and can be found at 13 Kubo street in White Location during the Festival period.

Knysna Tourism chair Elmay Bouwer says the first few days of the Festival have been fantastic. “We have had loads of positive feedback from cyclists of all skills and ages, and we are very pleased at how well the events went for our local entrepreneurs too. Community involvement in the Festival is essential to its continued growth and success.

The importance of the Pick n Pay Knysna Oyster Festival to the economy of this area cannot be overestimated and we are very grateful to all the role players who have put on such an incredible and varied event for our visitors.”

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